The Falcons didn’t just pay Bijan Robinson. They blew the top off the running back market.
Atlanta and Robinson agreed to a three-year extension on Tuesday worth $75 million, a deal that works out to $25 million per season. It also includes $51 million in guarantees and $37 million at signing, according to Adam Schefter. That’s the kind of number that changes the conversation at the position overnight.
Robinson, who is heading into his age-24 season despite being in his fourth year, has already become the kind of player an offense can tilt around. He led the NFL with 2,298 scrimmage yards in 2025, and the Falcons clearly view him as much more than a traditional running back. With quarterback uncertainty still hanging over Atlanta, his importance to the offense only grows.
The size of the contract tells the story. Robinson is now the highest-paid running back in NFL history, jumping well past Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles, who had held the top spot at $20.6 million per year. The total value also clears De'Von Achane’s $64 million deal with the Miami Dolphins, which was signed earlier in the offseason.
The guarantee structure is just as eye-catching. Robinson’s $51 million in guarantees is the biggest figure at the position, aside from rookie Jeremiyah Love, who is on one of the most valuable rookie contracts in the league. Among non-Love running backs, nobody has more guaranteed money than Robinson now.
That’s what happens when a team has a player it believes can truly reset the market. The Falcons clearly do in Robinson, and this deal says as much. He’s a rare offensive weapon, and Atlanta paid him like one.
The ripple effects are already easy to see. With Robinson’s extension now official, the Detroit Lions likely want to keep their contract talks with Jahmyr Gibbs moving toward the finish line.
In Other News...
Tua Tagovailoa Just Changed The Falcons Quarterback Mood
The quarterback picture in Atlanta has shifted again, and this time it is because Tua Tagovailoa is back doing real work in camp. After recovering from a back injury, he returned to full 11-on-11 reps with the first-team offense during the Falcons first padded practice, a notable step after the early stages of training camp had left the depth chart looking a little more uncertain.
Michael Penix Jr. remains sidelined, which makes Tagovailoa the most likely answer for Week 1 if the Falcons open the season today. For a team that has spent much of camp trying to sort out its offensive rhythm, getting Tagovailoa back into the full-speed mix changes the feel around the position and gives Atlanta a clearer sense of where things stand, even if the final decision is still in front of them. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Padded Practice Exposed Two Early Roster Questions
The Falcons put pads on for the second phase of training camp, and the added contact sharpened a few early roster questions that had already been building. Bijan Robinson is still working without a new contract in hand, so he has been practicing in shorts and tennis shoes, while Brian Robinson Jr. has been active. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich also returned after time away following a family loss, giving Atlanta a little more normalcy as the intensity picked up and the quarterbacks got into early drills.
The more revealing stretch came on the offensive line, where injuries and absences have left the team piecing together answers at right tackle. Michael Jerrell and Brandon Walton have been taking meaningful snaps there, a reminder that camp is already testing depth in a spot the Falcons cannot afford to leave unsettled. Elsewhere, Desmond Ridder put together a strong day in the limited work he got, and third-round pick Zachariah Branch continued to draw attention in pads as the competition around the secondary stays tight. [Read more 🡒]
Zachariah Branch Is Giving Falcons Fans A New Reason For Excitement
Rookie receiver Zachariah Branch has wasted little time making an impression in his first week at Falcons training camp, working with the first-team offense and turning heads with a handful of notable plays. Atlanta took him 79th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, and his early run with the starters has added some buzz to a receiving group looking for more impact options.
Branchs adjustment has been helped by his time at the University of Georgia, where he already got a taste of what it means to play in this region and handle the expectations that come with it. Teammates, including Kyle Pitts, have been quick to notice, and the early read on Branch is that he brings a versatile, physical presence that could earn him a real role if this camp momentum keeps building. [Read more 🡒]